Surface processing techniques have been developed to fabricate micromachined structures on substrates. In some cases, one or more components of such micromachined structures are connected to the substrate by hinges. The hinges permit the components to be raised from the substrate by pivoting around a hinge axis. Current techniques known to the inventor for assembling such raised structures involve: physically manipulating the hinged components using tiny probe tips moved by micromanipulators; and using the surface tension of fluid (such as solder or photoresist) to raise the hinged components.
Microelectronic probes are a well known tool in the microelectronics industry for making precision electronic measurements on semiconductor wafers. Typically, these probes comprise fine needlelike tips which may be actuated using micro-manipulators and micro-actuators, such that the probe tips make electrical contact with the wafer.
Microelectronic probes are unsatisfactory for the purpose of raising three-dimensional micromachined structures and manipulating their hinged components. The relatively coarse manoeuverability of microelectronic probes limits their effectiveness and may result in damage to the micromachined structures. Furthermore, each component of each micromachined structure must be independently moved into place, which may be a tedious and time consuming process.
There is a general desire to improve the methods for making three-dimensional micromachined structures and to provide related apparatus.